Hey y'all,

We're getting back to our roots this week with a whole bunch of news on capitalism and entrepreneurship in Western North Carolina, including new businesses (like TechHouse and Pratt & Whitney), insight from the Workforce Diversity Trends Report from the WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition, and a new cohort of diverse entrepreneurs at Mountain BizWorks. I love how this week's newsletter captures the broad spectrum of what it means to do business in Western North Carolina—after all, that is capital at play.

Till next week,

• Employment Trends 👩🏻‍✈️ The WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition has released the Workforce Diversity Trends in the Asheville Metro Area Report, which shows that we've added 13,406 jobs to the Asheville Metro area since 2010 and that average monthly earnings are up 10.3% to $3,656. But 88% of the region's employment is white (versus 70.3% statewide)  and just 8% African-American (versus the statewide average of 23.6%). 
• Kind of a Big Deal ✈️ Pratt & Whitney, a Fortune 50 aerospace company, recently announced plans to invest approximately $650 million through 2027 in a new Buncombe County manufacturing facility. The investment is expected to create 800 new positions in engineering, technology, production, and management with an average wage of $68,000, app. 60% above the average wage in Buncombe Co. The project is expected to generate over $54 million in new annual labor. Learn more.
• A New Kind of Cohort 👩🏾‍🤝‍👩🏽 Mountain BizWorks has announced the cohort of fast-growing WNC companies selected for its new, inclusive Catalyst Cohort program. The cohort is designed for entrepreneurs of color whose businesses have demonstrated job growth potential who want to boost profitability. This year's participants include Kente Kitchen (West African cuisine and African grocery) and Sole82, a sneaker boutique. Learn more. 
• Luxury Real Estate Boom 🏡  Real estate sales in the Cliffs communities totaled $144.3 million from Jan. 1 through the third quarter of 2020 with 190 transactions, marking a 51% volume increase from the same period in 2019. Third quarter results alone represented a 161% increase in volume year-over-year. An additional 89 sales are currently pending across the Cliffs communities. It's representative of luxury real estate trends, as buyers look for private communities near outdoor activities. Learn more.

JOBS

• Ginger's Revenge is looking for an Executive Assistant to the Founders. 🍻
• The YMCA  🏀  is looking for an Executive Director of Community Health.
• The Bright Angle 💡 is looking for a Production Assistant.

• Agile Capital Management is looking for an Associate / Investment Management and Real Estate. 💰

• The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) 🏔 is looking for a Grants Manager.
• Hospitality House is looking for a Coordinated Entry/Outreach & Supportive Services Specialist.
• A-B Tech is looking for a Career Navigator.
• UNCA 🎓 is looking for an Admissions Counselor.
• The NC Glass Center is looking for an Executive Director.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Davidson-based Summit Coffee (my old college—and more recently, RAD—haunt) recently opened a Chapel Hill location and has plans to open more locations in Charlotte and Asheville (in the Grove Arcade) this fall. ☕️ Learn more about how they're growing.

• The 2020 Southern Living Idea House, located in the Ramble Biltmore Forest in Asheville and built by Buchanan Construction, is now available to own through Beverly-Hanks. Learn more. 

• Dogwood Health Trust will contribute potentially millions of dollars to support a collaborative effort to develop workforce housing in Marion. 🏡  With this investment, the org kicks off its commitment to add to the available housing stock in the region. Learn more. 
• AdventHealth Hendersonville has received two grants to support its efforts to increase access to behavioral healthcare for women in our community, expanding the region’s only behavioral health unit dedicated to women only. 🧡 Learn more. 

• The winners of Habitat's 9th Annual ReStore ReUse Contest have been chosen. 🔨 Best in Show went to Sam Allison, who restored and converted a garage built by his grandfather in 1944 into an art studio and guesthouse using 90% reused materials. Learn more.

• TechHouse opens in downtown Asheville today, offering premium in-store or at-home tech support services like hardware or software updates and repair, network solutions for home and business, data transfer and recovery, new device set-up, gaming PC builds, and more.  🎮
• The longtime Asheville residence of Wilma Dykeman, one of Appalachia’s foremost writers and conservationists, will become home to a new UNCA Writers-in-Residence Program. ✏️ Learn more. 
• HomeTrust Bank recently announced that C. Hunter Westbrook, formerly Senior Executive VP and COO, will assume the position of President and COO. 🏦  Learn more. 
• An all-female writer's group and production staff is readying 4 short Grimm's Fairy Tales for the Montford Park Players for July of 2021. They are expecting to be in the first wave of theatres opening again next year. 
   

🌵  The Gift that Keeps on Giving | Atelier Maison hosts Houseplants: The Gift that Keeps on Giving with plant expert Keira Peterson Nov. 4 from 10:30–11:30 a.m.

🍳  Issues & Eggs | The Haywood Chamber's event Issues & Eggs returns this month with Rebounding Strategies with Rob Robinson on Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. 

🤚🏽  Sleight of Hand | On display now at the Center for Craft, Sleight of Hand centralizes humor in the creative exploration of contemporary social issues.

🎃 Fall Flavors | Pick up treats in terrifying flavors like Shattered Glass (with brûléed sugar) and Black Death by Chocolate at the Hop this weekend.

😄  Create an Authentic Brand | Mountain BizWorks will host Creating an Authentic Brand with Sarah Benoit from JB Media Institute on Nov. 4 from 2–4 p.m.

🎁  Home for the Holidays | Show & Tell's annual holiday pop-up shop will be online this year (Nov. 1–Jan. 10) with handmade and vintage gifts from over 125 local and indie vendors.